Photos of world's largest squid
mongabay.com
February 22, 2007 [UPDATE]

Fishermen in New Zealand may have captured the largest Colossal squid ever recorded. It may be the first time a Colossal squid has been seen alive.

The beast, weighing 450 kilograms (990 pounds), was eating a Patagonian toothfish (Chilean sea bass) hooked by fishermen when it was captured in the deep, frigid waters in the Ross Sea near Antarctica. The squid was reported to be 10 meters (33 feet) in length and took more than two hours to land.

The Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) -- a marine mollusk related to cuttlefish, octopus, and giant squid -- is one of the least known sea animals. They are believed to grow up to 14 meters (45 feet) in length and feed on large fish and other squid in the deep ocean using bioluminescence, according to Wikipedia. Sperm whales, which sometimes bear scars from the hooked tentacles of the colossal squid, are thought to be the only predator of adult squid, which can dive to depths exceeding 2200 meters. New Zealand researchers say they hope the capture can shed more light on the elusive species.

Photo courtesy of the New Zealand Fisheries department

"On-going examination of this giant will help to unlock some of the mysteries of the deep ocean. Even basic questions such as such as how large does this species grow to, and how long does it live for are not yet known," New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said in a statement announcing the catch. "On-going examination of this giant will help to unlock some of the mysteries of the deep ocean. Even basic questions such as such as how large does this species grow to, and how long does it live for are not yet known."

Captain John Bennett poses with an adult Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). Image courtesy of the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries

Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) captured off Antarctica. Image courtesy of the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries

Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) captured off Antarctica. Image courtesy of the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries

Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) captured off Antarctica. Image courtesy of the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries

Video capture of a giant squid in the North Pacific Ocean some 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo shows a specimen of a deep-sea giant squid. In 2005 two Japanese scientists, Tsunemi Kubodera and Kyoichi Mori, described in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B the first observations of a live giant squid. Image courtesy of the National Science Museum

HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect,
an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region.
Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant.